Yahoo 2016 Year in Review: ‘2016 Election’ top search term & ‘Election Day’ No. 1 news story

Yahoo says "Donald Trump" ranked as its second most popular search of the year, while "Hillary Clinton" barely made the top 10.

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Yahoo has released its top 10 most popular search terms for the year, in addition to its top news stories and a number of other “most popular” top 10 lists for the site in 2016.

According to Yahoo, the most searched term for 2016 was “2016 Election,” with president-elect “Donald Trump” following in the No. 2 spot. Hillary Clinton barely made the list, edging in at No. 10. The No. 3 spot went to video game Roblox.

Half of Yahoo’s top 10 most popular search terms were celebrities: Gwen Stefani, Megyn Kelly, Jodi Sweetin (of “Full House” & “Fuller House” fame) and two Kardashians.

Yahoo’s Top Searches in 2016

  1. 2016 Election
  2. Donald Trump
  3. Roblox
  4. Gwen Stefani
  5. 2016 Olympics
  6. Khloe Kardashian
  7. Megyn Kelly
  8. Jodie Sweetin
  9. Kim Kardashian-West
  10. Hillary Clinton

Yahoo also ranked its top 10 most popular news stories — arguably one of the most depressing lists possible.

Yahoo’s Top News Stories in 2016

  1. Election Day
  2. Prince Dies
  3. Pulse Nightclub Massacre
  4. Deadly Attack in Istanbul
  5. Hurricane Matthew
  6. Baton Rouge Police Shooting
  7. EgyptAir Flight 804 Located
  8. Trump Protests
  9. Clinton Emails
  10. Professional Debates

The site also curated the top 10 celebrity searches, with Gwen Stefani at the top of the list; top sports stories, which was made up mostly of Olympic-related headlines; and the following list of top companies as determined by Yahoo Finance’s most-read stories.

Top 10 Companies in 2016 According to Yahoo Finance

  1. Apple
  2. Facebook
  3. Twitter
  4. Bank of America
  5. Amazon
  6. Tesla
  7. Alibaba
  8. Valeant Pharmaceuticals
  9. Ford
  10. Wells Fargo

You can find Yahoo’s full archive of top 10 lists for 2016, including links to its top 10 Flickr photos at: Yahoo Reveals 2016 year in Review.


Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.


About the author

Amy Gesenhues
Contributor
Amy Gesenhues was a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Search Engine Land, MarTech and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.

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